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Why calligraphy?

I love putting black velvety ink on off-white paper, and the excitement of watching the letters form.

When I first started doing calligraphy, it's because I had, ironically, a baby sitter on Tuesday mornings and I could take whatever classes that were offered on Tuesday mornings. Calligraphy was one, and I didn't even know what it was. So I could take the class on Tuesday mornings, and every night when I put the kids to bed from 8 to 11 I would practice. I got hooked very, very quickly and got addicted to it.

What makes a great calligrapher?

'The dance of the pen.' The dance of the pen is a really well known calligraphy quote, and it's when your pen dances across the paper and ink just flows. And watching a really good calligrapher is like watching a dancing pen.

Personal challenges:

On Saturday, I did like six hours of lettering, and I couldn't move my hand, it was so tight. You're leaning over a drafting table, so your back hurts, your hand hurts, and I can't have any music. Some calligraphers work with music, but I have to work with absolute silence. You're supposed to be relaxed, but you're not.

I love teaching left-handed people how to hold pens. A lot of calligraphers don't teach lefties because lefties never hold the pen the same way - every one is unique. So I find that a challenge to go to a lefty and figure out how they can do the lettering without smearing their work. I love it because my husband is left handed and my daughter is left handed.

The importance of calligraphy today:

People are very tired of typesetting. We've had so much computer, that my business has increased because people want it done by hand. Everything that I do, I do by hand. I don't do anything by computer because the lure of it is that they want it done by hand, and all my clients want it done for them. Every job I do is a custom job. I've never gotten into printing my calligraphy because I've never wanted to be a machine.

I don't reproduce my work, and I love it when someone gives me a quote that they've had in their wallet that's crinkled up and they've carried it around forever, and they give it to me and I'm enhancing it by hand lettering a piece for them. If you just want baskets, you can go to Pier1, or if you want a handmade sea grass basket, you can go to The Market in Charleston, South Carolina.

Calligraphy vs. Computers.

Calligraphers worried about that in the '90s. They were really worried when the computer became so prevalent. And some of the calligraphers started digitizing their work and other calligraphers have said, 'How can you dare do that? This is a hand-lettered work!'

But what's happened is I don't think it will be endangered, because people will always want something that's handmade.

Her favorite letter to pen:

"R." It's the only letter that has a straight, has a round, and has an angle. It's a cool letter.

And then you can flourish that leg of the 'R.' The leg kicks out, and depending on how you kick it out, it can flourish and look really cool. And 'S' is the hardest letter, because you need to balance the negative part of the tops and bottoms. If an 'S' is done perfectly, right side up, it looks totally even, like two backwards C's. But upside down, the bottom has to be larger, so it's a visual thing.

Her favorite word to pen:

Calligraphy! Because you can flourish the 'G' so beautiful, and you can make the 'C' fat and juicy.

Joe Scott is a freelance contributor. Contact him at movieshowjoe@gmail.com.